now I need a hitch

[scoobydoo]

Ok Now that I got the trailer now I need to get a hitch. Have seen several on different websites between $250- $350 bucks. Anybody have any input on the best deals. Also I have seen a swivel type ball that moves  from side to side. How about those? I saw a set of plans to build your own posted the other day but can't seem to find it now. Any help
By the way I should of waited until spring to get the trailer, kind of cold in the dog house!
Thanks
Scooby

[Sodbuster]

I just got my hitch a couple weeks ago from Hitch Doc .... it's the receiver type where the receiver is tucked up behind the fender.  All highly polished and chromed.  Not cheap thou .... $412 shipped to my door.

http://www.hitchdoc.com/motorcyclehitches.php#honda

If you're interested I could send a pic of the hitch.

[fudgie]

Oh yea, how did the 'honey I bought a trailer' thing go? 

I bought mine in the classifieds. ebay has some occasional at a good ptice. Mine was $225 and that included the reciever and wiring harness. I got the one that has the removable reciever. I like it cause if I do not want to pull trailer on trips I can get a rack that mounts on the reciever. We did this on our Sturgis Trip this year. Sure beat pulling trailer.

Not sure about the swivel hitch. I had the standard one and never had a problem.

[scoobydoo]

I'll let you know how the trailer news went over when she starts talking to me again. Nice set up with the carrier rack I'll have to keep that in mind. I've never pulled a trailer with a bike. much trouble?

[Popeye]

I pulled a trailer to the Grand Canyon and back. While the extra space is nice the gas mileage drops. Don't remember exact numbers but I do remember I stopped a lot more for gas.

Popeye

[Al in AK]

 

 Congradulations Scooby.
I also have the Hitch Doc hidden reciever.
For me, I am spoiled and like the versiatility of the trailer, and the stream lined aerodynamics of my whole rig.
Being gone from home on average of 4 to 6 weeks, I cannot get into all that straping all that gear all over my bike every morning along the trip.

Here is a picture in Watson Lake. Along the ALCAN,on the way back home last summer from Izane 9. Ran Solo.


 


Here is one, with the wife on our way to Inzane 6. I guess you could say that I love trailering as much as rideing.





Have Fun,

Al in AK

I love pictures, Utah, the day we left Inzane 9 for home.

[scoot]

I have a small tear drop trailer I pull. It takes a little getting use to, biggest thing is just keep in mind the extra weight. With the Valkyrie's power you barely notice its there. Make sure you keep the weightof your cargo in mind. It is very easy to over do it. Also, try to keep weight in the balanced or appropriate spots. I can easily get all our camping gear and clothing, and essentials (kitchen sink)in it. I also added a cooler. It comes in handy for the refreshments and sncks while on the road.
 The milage is a disadvantage, however the conveince is worth it. Once we get to where we are going I unhook (chain and lock it to something) and then enjoy the riding.
 I had a swivel hitch on my Goldwing, but didn't notice enough difference for the extra cost. 

[Wizzard]

I have pulled my trailer with a hitch doc for over 10k miles. Even though its more money I consider it the best. It is well hidden, the reciever type I have you don't even know a hitch is there with the ball not on. Well polished chrome to last for ages.

[fudgie]

I'll let you know how the trailer news went over when she starts talking to me again. Nice set up with the carrier rack I'll have to keep that in mind. I've never pulled a trailer with a bike. much trouble?

Not much differance pulling it. Had to look to make sure it was still there!    Stopping was a little longer but good. Its not a twisty runner but pulled well. My milage went down. I normally get 32 mpg and got 22-25 mpg. My resv went to 8-10 miles. I do have a Pingel tho so resv was already cut short. Depending where you go, carry gas. I pulled maybe 5,000 miles in 08. Now I just use it for local rallies. I use the rack for the long haul. Milage never changed this year loaded with it. Rack was only $45.

[Sodbuster]

Hitch Doc w/receiver (hidden) - Part # 15400 - Seeing as how I haven't got it mounted yet I thought I might as well take a couple pics

[f6john]

     I had a Hitchdoc with the exposed ball mount but I never pulled or owned a trailer. Decided I wasn't ready for a trailor yet. Best thing I can say about the hitch was that I felt a little safer with it on, they're built like a Mack truck. 

[mikeb]

I'll let you know how the trailer news went over when she starts talking to me again. Nice set up with the carrier rack I'll have to keep that in mind. I've never pulled a trailer with a bike. much trouble?

you will hardly know its back there as long as ya load it right and yes you will lose about 5 mpg towing it as least thats what my wife lost on the one i own .. yes i let her tow it. dont forget to buy an converter to combine the turn/stop unless the trailer is set up with them separately.. i stuffed mine / or should i say hers under the seat  on  the i.s . under the radio and fused every wire  but the ground  too our trailer has a swivel tongue on it ,,

[bigdog99]

i used the hitch doc also, had it for 3 years now and love it. the trailier is back there but you dont know it. i did up-size the tires on the trailer to 5.70x8"  the 4.80's really died quick. the 5.70x8 raised trailer up to level also.
just beware the hitch doc is no pleasure putting bolts in, through hitch and bag frames and fender. took 5 hours for right side

[scoobydoo]

I like the looks of the hitch doc. In the pics it looks like all that holds it on are 4 bolts that hold the bags & fenders Is it strong? the hitch looks great but those 4 bolts look kinda small to me.

[KW]

Fudgie; I really like those hitch racks. . . They would be really handy on some (most) of the trips we take. . .  But, do you have any issues/problems with your 'stuff' blocking your brake light? I can't really tell from the picture. The only one I've seen in person was on an Interstate with brake LEDs set up high on the trunk.

Al in AK; That may be the coolest trailer I've ever seen! Very nice 

[Wizzard]

I like the looks of the hitch doc. In the pics it looks like all that holds it on are 4 bolts that hold the bags & fenders Is it strong? the hitch looks great but those 4 bolts look kinda small to me.

Stronger than it needs to be. I pulled my trailer with 14 inch tires on it for 10k miles with a hitch doc, and did not even know the trailer was back there. Best Hitch made.

[Sodbuster]

I like the looks of the hitch doc. In the pics it looks like all that holds it on are 4 bolts that hold the bags & fenders Is it strong? the hitch looks great but those 4 bolts look kinda small to me.

There are two 10mm dia. bolts towards the front and two 8mm dia. bolts to the rear.  With the shear strength of the bolts and the thickness of the hitch you should be able to pull a boat trailer.

I will be mounting my Tsukayo hard bags to them over the winter and to allow easy removal of the bags, I plan to have a couple intermediate pieces machined up at work. They will be mounted thru the two holes in the hitch on each side and then mount the saddle bag brackets to tapped holes in the intermediate piece(s). That way I can remove the bags (for whatever reason) without disturbing the trailer hitch/fender strut bolts.

[fudgie]

Fudgie; I really like those hitch racks. . . They would be really handy on some (most) of the trips we take. . .  But, do you have any issues/problems with your 'stuff' blocking your brake light? I can't really tell from the picture. The only one I've seen in person was on an Interstate with brake LEDs set up high on the trunk.

Al in AK; That may be the coolest trailer I've ever seen! Very nice 

It is real handy. I like it alot. As far as the lights, yes and no. The bag on my rack in the picture is just the right size to be able to see the tail light. Turn signals are hit and miss. The luggage on my sissy bar rack would have covered the brake light. The return trip home and most of the trip out there after this pic was taken, you could not see the brake light. This was fine since we used hand signals 95% of the time anyway. I could have mounted the rack lower but would have lost my ground clearance and the bag would have taken more of a direct hit with road debis and weather. I'm gonna mount some lights on it this winter.

www.alsmotorcycleaccessories.com

[Sodbuster]

I also have the Hitch Doc hidden reciever.
For me, I am spoiled and like the versiatility of the trailer, and the stream lined aerodynamics of my whole rig.
Being gone from home on average of 4 to 6 weeks, I cannot get into all that straping all that gear all over my bike every morning along the trip.

Very nice trailer, what kind is it ??. Also, I was curious about the tongue .... looks like there's a shock absorber of some kind mounted. Never seen anything like that, how does that work ??  Have any closeup pics of it ??

Thanks

[Lucky Duck]

Scooby,  I have a Hitchdoc hitch on my bike, if you'd like to see it in person, you're welcome to take a look.  I'm in Mt. Vernon and we've talked on the phone a couple of times, give me a call.  My hitch is an older style that is bolted together down by the reciever but I think by seeing it, you'll be able to see that it's solid.  Bring your other half and my other half can make a sales pitch about all the stuff you can haul home with  trailer

[Jess Tolbirt]

Oh yea, how did the 'honey I bought a trailer' thing go? 

I bought mine in the classifieds. ebay has some occasional at a good ptice. Mine was $225 and that included the reciever and wiring harness. I got the one that has the removable reciever. I like it cause if I do not want to pull trailer on trips I can get a rack that mounts on the reciever. We did this on our Sturgis Trip this year. Sure beat pulling trailer.

Not sure about the swivel hitch. I had the standard one and never had a problem.

looks to me like you are hiding your turn signals and brake lights...
with all the 16 year old blonde girls with cell phones out there it seems that this could not be good,,,
just a thought i had,,,

[Bob E.]

I also have the Hitch Doc hidden reciever.
For me, I am spoiled and like the versiatility of the trailer, and the stream lined aerodynamics of my whole rig.
Being gone from home on average of 4 to 6 weeks, I cannot get into all that straping all that gear all over my bike every morning along the trip.

Very nice trailer, what kind is it ??. Also, I was curious about the tongue .... looks like there's a shock absorber of some kind mounted. Never seen anything like that, how does that work ??  Have any closeup pics of it ??

Thanks

Not to speak for Al, but that trailer is a Tailwind trailer...probably one of the most high-tech and nicest trailers on the market...but you pay for it.

As far as hitches, I was building some fiberglass saddlebags and needed a system for mounting them.  So I incorporated a trailer hitch into the design.  I used a couple different sources for info as a starting point, then modified for my needs.  Here is a link:

http://www.gonzos-garage.com/bike/Valkyrie_Receiver_Hitch.htm

I also followed a thread in the old VRCC tech board from BigBf...you might be able to find it in the archives or you could email him for info.

And here is a pic of the hitch before being cleaned up for paint.  I chose to paint it because it is nearly invisible behind the bags anyways.



It is made from 1/4" plate that I had cut out at a local fab shop for about $120 including the steel.  They even put the 90* bends on the ends for the bolting tabs.  I had an old receiver hitch laying around that I cut the receiver tube from and welded to the horizontal plate.  The hard part was finding the threaded rod for bolting to the fender rails.  That 10mm bolt is an odd pitch...not standard for 10mm.  I was able to find a piece of high-strength threaded rod for about $18 but I couldn't find any in stainless steel.  Anyways, Fastenal later told me they could cut any pitch I wanted so that is where I'll go for a replacement if I ever get around to it.  Overall, with the cost of the hardware and the steel, I probably spent about $200 to $225 on this part of the project.  

[X Ring]

3/8ths-16 will substitute for the 10mm bolts.  It is 1/32nd smaller than 10mm but it is the same thread pitch.  I discovered this little gem researching all thread to make my quickdrop bag system.  In addition, Lowes carries it in 6 inch lengths.

Marty

[fudgie]

Oh yea, how did the 'honey I bought a trailer' thing go? 

I bought mine in the classifieds. ebay has some occasional at a good ptice. Mine was $225 and that included the reciever and wiring harness. I got the one that has the removable reciever. I like it cause if I do not want to pull trailer on trips I can get a rack that mounts on the reciever. We did this on our Sturgis Trip this year. Sure beat pulling trailer.

Not sure about the swivel hitch. I had the standard one and never had a problem.

looks to me like you are hiding your turn signals and brake lights...
with all the 16 year old blonde girls with cell phones out there it seems that this could not be good,,,
just a thought i had,,,

True but thats the chance we all take riding everyday. Don't really scare me tho!  We use hand signals 95% of the time when riding. Plus I was doing all high speed interstate and highway riding. If I did stop and someone was gonna rear end me and they cannot see a 5' tall 3 1/2' wide object in front of them, a little red light wont matter.
Our boss at work is still trying to get us to wear our high vis yellow coats or vest. We figure if no one can see fire trucks and a big white ambulance with flashing lights then 2 little coats aint gonna make a differance. 

[Al in AK]

I also have the Hitch Doc hidden reciever.
For me, I am spoiled and like the versiatility of the trailer, and the stream lined aerodynamics of my whole rig.
Being gone from home on average of 4 to 6 weeks, I cannot get into all that straping all that gear all over my bike every morning along the trip.

Very nice trailer, what kind is it ??. Also, I was curious about the tongue .... looks like there's a shock absorber of some kind mounted. Never seen anything like that, how does that work ??  Have any closeup pics of it ??

Thanks

Like BobE. said, it is a Tailwind. Tom Finchs' site explains' the design very well.
Towing a trailer pushs' the envelope on riding, and I wanted the best. Just like the motorcycle.............

http://tailwindtrailers.com/


Check out the photo gallery. There is a picture of us leaving for Inzane 6, the morning of June 22nd.

[wingrider]

any body have a photo of a hitch doc on the bike?  I just bought one from the classifieds and it did not come with directions or bolts. I would like to see a close up if any one has one. Thanks

[Sodbuster]

I just bought one from the classifieds and it did not come with directions or bolts. I would like to see a close up if any one has one. Thanks

When I get some time I'll scan the instructions I have and post it.  Also, You can notify Hitch Doc for hardware and see what they say.

later ....

[Sodbuster]

OK .... here you go

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/sodbuster_gl1100/HitchDocInstructions.jpg

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

The plans that they are showing are some that I drew up about 6 yrs ago. I'm still running the hitch on my bike and have had no troubles out of it yet. Once the hitch is on the bike and painted flat black you can't even see the brackets.

[sugerbear]

if you have a metal fabricator close, take the bike to him, tell him what you want.
take a pic of the hitch doc shown here.

i and my buddy had ours made for about $150 each. painted them black, put on a bag drop kit.
pulled the trailers 4000 miles with any problems.
sorry no pics

[stormrider]

So, what will putting a hitch do if you're running a car tire? Very close tolerances.

[fudgie]

So, what will putting a hitch do if you're running a car tire? Very close tolerances.

Nothing. Mine is not any closer then the chrome saddlebag bracket that is under the fender behind the tire.

[GoldwingRider]

Oh yea, how did the 'honey I bought a trailer' thing go? 

I bought mine in the classifieds. ebay has some occasional at a good ptice. Mine was $225 and that included the reciever and wiring harness. I got the one that has the removable reciever. I like it cause if I do not want to pull trailer on trips I can get a rack that mounts on the reciever. We did this on our Sturgis Trip this year. Sure beat pulling trailer.

Not sure about the swivel hitch. I had the standard one and never had a problem.




Hello , I,m a new owner of the Valkyrie , was wondering if anyone can direct me in the right direction for a hitch like this one of Fudgie,s, any help would be great, Thanks in advance.

[BF]

The one like Fudgie's is no longer available.  If I remember right, it was offered for sale by Big Bike Parts. 

They come up for sale from time to time on the classifieds (although I haven't seen one on there in awhile). 

You could also try eBay or Craigslist. 

[GoldwingRider]

The one like Fudgie's is no longer available.  If I remember right, it was offered for sale by Big Bike Parts. 

They come up for sale from time to time on the classifieds (although I haven't seen one on there in awhile). 

You could also try eBay or Craigslist. 

Thank you for your reply.

[Rams]

I trailer behind my Valkyrie, one of the best decisions I've made for traveling on her.   Load it right and you'll forget it's back there.    Yep, it'll cost you a few mpg, so far, I'm averaging about 5 mpg less depending on how I'm riding, how it's loaded and how much of a hurry I'm in. 

Biggest problem I've encountered is due to my second sentence.   That trailer will remind you it's back there when you cut a corner to close, forget it's width doing any tight maneuvers, or miss that pot hole with the Valkyrie and then the trailer hits it.   Yep, guilty on all three.

[GoldwingRider]

I trailer behind my Valkyrie, one of the best decisions I've made for traveling on her.   Load it right and you'll forget it's back there.    Yep, it'll cost you a few mpg, so far, I'm averaging about 5 mpg less depending on how I'm riding, how it's loaded and how much of a hurry I'm in. 

Biggest problem I've encountered is due to my second sentence.   That trailer will remind you it's back there when you cut a corner to close, forget it's width doing any tight maneuvers, or miss that pot hole with the Valkyrie and then the trailer hits it.   Yep, guilty on all three.

I hear ya there , I tow one now , with my Goldwing , and run into the same things.

[trout dude]

Phil Check your pm

[the bull]

I have the Hitch Doc receiver type hitch on my Interstate.  I love it but it was a night mare to install.  I followed all of the hints that are posted by members.  However, I had 1 bolt on the right side that messed up the threads inside the fender when I removed it.  I had to remove the truck and fender to rethread the hole.  After that it went back together pretty easy.  Also had to fabricate some other parts because my bike has rails on the bags.  I use a rack when the wife comes along because I do not tow the camper.  I purchased the rivco rack from wing stuff and it works great.  I also purchased the optional led light set that you can add to the rack.  This allows you to remount the plate so it can be seen as well as having lights that are now visible.

I did not buy my hitch from Hitch Doc directly because I was able to save money.  Do not remember the company name but the person is Marty and his email is marty@tmcil.com his phone number is 708 479-5100.  He was very helpful with the entire sale.

RIGL18008COMBO Rack, bag and locking system sold as a package from Wing Stuff.  They sell a combo kit and it is much cheaper this way.  They also offer free shipping.
CRLGHT Rack LED Tail Light Set from RIVCO.  I needed this right away and Wingstuff did not stock it so I had to buy it from RIVCO

Good Luck and I hope that this info is helpful
Safe Riding!

[JimmyG]

  That dog house is to dang small for me....I'm in the same boat, need a hitch for my interstate. I am going to do the hitch, then the trailer. I do like your thinking though Scooby, get the trailer, then ya gotta get the hitch.....I mean, what's wrong with that thinking?